Best way to achieve public safety begins with good child care for all Valley families

As the police chief of Reedley, public safety is my top priority. And when it comes to effective programs that prevent crime and keep communities safe, the smartest investments start at the very beginning — with our youngest kids.

In the San Joaquin Valley and other rural parts of California, investments in high quality early child care and education could be the solution to many of the adversities we face when building safer communities and supporting working families.

The San Joaquin Valley is home to more than 4 million people. Our communities are strong, but we’re also grappling with serious challenges, including poverty, low employment growth, and a lack of child care for working families. While the majority of Californians live in child care deserts (where there are more than three children for every child-care slot), rural communities are most severely impacted by inadequate access to child care. Latino and Native American communities, specifically, are more likely than any other group to live in a child care desert.

Additionally, a large portion of Californians in rural areas work inconsistent and seasonal schedules, which means a demand for services and child care needs outside of traditional work hours.

The evidence shows that a lack of child care can have a negative impact on children and the community as a whole. With more than 30 years of working to keep our community protected, I know that when a young child has access to a safe, nurturing care environment they’re more prepared for school. Building this strong foundation means fewer suspensions and expulsions, less disruptive classrooms for students and teachers, and increased high school graduation rates — all of which correlates to lower juvenile crime.

A recent report and accompanying video from the Council for a Strong America and Fight Crime: Invest in Kids highlights the disproportionate challenges that families from rural areas face in accessing high-quality early programs and other support systems. Without adequate child care, children lose out on nurturing environments that promote growth, and working families with young children struggle.

Rural communities face unique challenges because we lose families who can’t work without child care and who would otherwise contribute to the local economy. An entire community can come to a literal standstill without these services, and unfortunately, in the Central Valley we have experienced this firsthand.

Big picture, we need prioritized investments to meet the needs of working families and their children. This includes child-care partnerships in rural communities to increase the availability of care, and more resources to help our community recruit, train, and retain child-care staff.

Early interventions are imperative for tackling any issue, and child-care programs are one of the most effective investments California can make in improving public safety and revitalizing the economy. The stark reality is that rural child care did not meet the needs of my community pre-pandemic. Compounded with the unforeseen impacts of the past year, we have now reached critical levels that demand urgent attention.

If every family were able to access the quality child care they need, regardless of where they lived in California, we could improve public safety in the long-term by providing children and their families with caring adults who make our economy run and our communities safe.